Wang Gang looked at the two women, first startled, then suddenly laughing. He turned to Li Qingluo and said, "My wife, let me introduce you. These two young ladies came from Dali, and they're also Prince Duan's intimate companions!"
Li Qingluo instinctively looked over, fixing her gaze on the two women. One was alluring and seductive, brimming with charm; the other was as round as a pearl and smooth as jade, delicate and pitiable.
The two women looked over as well, their gazes meeting hers head-on. Qin Hongmian's eyes were icy and filled with murderous intent. Gan Baobao smiled faintly, but her gaze held contempt and disdain.
Li Qingluo also sensed their hostility. She was about to glare back when she caught sight of Wang Gang out of the corner of her eye and immediately looked away.
Only then did Gan Baobao rebuke him sharply. "Don't talk nonsense! Brother Chun... Young Master Duan and I are good friends. What intimate companions?"
"Oh, then I misspoke!" Wang Gang smiled and turned to Qin Hongmian. "May I ask what your relationship with Prince Duan is, Madam Qin?"
"Prince? What prince?" When she had gotten to know Duan Zhengchun, she had taken him for a wealthy young gentleman, unaware of his true identity. Qin Hongmian turned her beautiful eyes toward him. Seeing Duan Zhengchun nod with a bitter smile, she felt a surge of annoyance. "Ordinary friends!"
"Ha ha..." Wang Gang laughed heartily. "Prince Duan, you truly are remarkable at making friends!"
He pointed at the two women. "These two ladies were willing to risk their lives to save a friend!"
Then he pointed at Li Qingluo. "And this friend was willing to give away her entire fortune!"
Wang Gang began clapping as he spoke, sighing. "I imagine even Boya and Ziqi could have done no better!"
For a moment, everyone in the room looked rather uncomfortable. Only Wang Gang was still smiling.
"Miss Qin, do you remember what I said when we first met at the restaurant?"
When Qin Hongmian ignored him, he turned to Gan Baobao. "Now that you've seen this, is your Brother Chun still so open and upright?"
When Gan Baobao entered the room, she had already observed that all its decorations and furnishings were for a woman's use. Looking at Li Qingluo and Duan Zhengchun, how could she fail to understand?
"Senior sister, let's go!" Gan Baobao took Qin Hongmian's hand and made to leave.
"Wait. Let's watch a little longer!" Qin Hongmian shook her head and stayed.
"What else is there to watch?" Gan Baobao cried petulantly.
As the two women tugged at each other, a copper staff suddenly shot toward Wang Gang with a fierce whistle through the air. He hurriedly leaped aside.
Bang!
With a tremendous crash, the copper staff pierced the wall, its shaft still quivering.
"My lord, go!"
A yellow figure entered almost together with the copper staff, grabbed Duan Zhengchun around the waist, and leaped toward the window.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Wang Gang reacted too, raising his sword to give chase! But a saber unexpectedly slashed at him from the side. He swung his sword to block and looked up. It was Qin Hongmian!
Crash!
The two figures smashed through the window. Frantic, Wang Gang drove Qin Hongmian back with several successive sword strikes. Just as he was about to pursue them, Gan Baobao blocked his path.
"Fu Sigui!"
Wang Gang shouted fiercely, channeling Qi through his sword before raising it to thrust. Gan Baobao was quick as well. She blocked or dodged his first few strikes and could still cope, but as each thrust came faster than the last, she struggled to fend him off and retreated step after step.
"Baobao, move!"
Qin Hongmian shouted and raised her hand, firing two sleeve arrows. Unmoved, Wang Gang continued thrusting at Gan Baobao with his right hand while extending his left. Space opened and closed, instantly reflecting the sleeve arrows back.
"Ah!"
Qin Hongmian cried out in pain and hurriedly searched herself for the antidote. Gan Baobao lost her composure out of concern, her moves becoming even more disordered. Finding an opening, Wang Gang raised his foot and kicked him flying.
He gave the two of them a long look, then turned toward the window. Fu Sigui was carrying Duan Zhengchun on his back, running swiftly toward the outside of the estate.
He was about to leap after them when his foot suddenly grew heavy. Looking down, he saw Zhu Danchen clinging to his leg.
"I truly am willing to die for my lord!" Zhu Danchen grinned.
"Dying for an unrighteous man does nothing to prove your loyalty!" Murderous intent showed in Wang Gang's eyes, yet a faint smile hung on his face. "I'll grant your wish!"
With that, he kicked Zhu Danchen hard in the chest.
"Pfft!" Zhu Danchen spat out a mouthful of blood!
"Zhu Danchen!" Chu Wanli and Gu Ducheng shouted. "You damned scoundrel! Kill me if you have the guts!"
Wang Gang ignored them. Looking at Zhu Danchen, whose breath was barely a thread, he tried to pull his foot free. Instead, the man weakly tightened his arms again, baring a mouthful of bloodstained teeth as he chuckled. "I... can... still... manage."
Wang Gang closed his eyes, lifted his other foot, and planted it on Zhu Danchen's chest. He pressed down, and with a crack, the breastbone shattered!
"Ah!"
Zhu Danchen let out an agonized cry and looked at his two brothers. "I... did my best..."
His words ended, and his breath ceased.
The other two supported each other, struggling to their feet and trying to charge over.
Wang Gang kicked Zhu Danchen aside. Just as he turned, another sword thrust toward him. As though prepared for it, he thrust his own sword without even looking back, setting its point against Li Qingluo's throat.
"Please let him go!" Ignoring the icy sword at her neck, Li Qingluo pleaded in a trembling voice.
"When you do wrong, you have to pay the price!"
Wang Gang finished coldly and withdrew his sword to leave. Suddenly, he heard a whistle through the air behind his head. Anger rising in his heart, he struck out with his palm, and a Flame Blade arrived in an instant!
"Ah!"
"Ping'er!"
Wang Gang turned to see Ping'er lying in Li Qingluo's arms. She had taken the Flame Blade for Li Qingluo.
Looking at Ping'er, whose shoulder had been struck by the blade, Wang Gang narrowed his eyes, a piercing cold glint in them. He was no fool. How could he not see Ping'er's attitude toward him?
He swept his gaze over everyone in the room, suppressing the anger in his heart, and asked coldly, "Who else?"
Looking into his reddening eyes, Li Qingluo could not help recalling Wang Gang's ruthlessness that night. Knowing that Duan Zhengchun would surely die if Wang Gang caught him, she said, "Let him go. I swear I'll never see him again!"
"You've already said that!"
"Ah! Die, you damned scoundrel!"
Wang Gang had just reached the window when Gu Ducheng, frantic and heedless of his injuries, swung his axe and hurled himself at him!
Wang Gang turned sideways and kicked him back, then followed with a sword thrust that pierced his throat.
"Urgh... urgh..."
Gu Ducheng clutched his throat and tried to speak, but could only cough up mouthfuls of bloody froth.
"Old Gu! Ah!" Chu Wanli cried out in anguish. In so short a time, two of the four great guards had died. They had served together, and their bond was far from ordinary!
Everyone else in the room was stunned too! It was not that they had never seen anyone killed, only that they had never seen Wang Gang kill!
Qin Hongmian and Gan Baobao in particular had been the first to threaten to beat and kill him back at the restaurant, and had even injured the steward beside him. Yet Wang Gang had not killed them in the end!
They had heard that even the assassin who later tried to kill Wang Gang had merely been sent to the authorities.
They had simply assumed Wang Gang was a wealthy young man who, despite his considerable martial skills, had never seen blood and dared not kill! Yet why had he killed today?
"Wang Gang! Kill me too!" Chu Wanli struggled to pick up his fishing rod.
"What would be the point of killing you?" Wang Gang looked at him and said softly, "The loyal ultimately die of betrayal!"
Wang Gang kicked Chu Wanli aside and leaped out of the window.